General Discussion
Voting At The Manor
It was absolute chaos at 3.45pm, no one directing voters as to where the voting was taking place. Most people were trying the main door, eventually someone came and placed a sign directing voters around the back. The traffic in and out of the Manor was horrendous blocking both entrance and exit. Why didn't someone think about organizing the entry and exit of the traffic, maybe they did later in the day.
This continued sadly into the evening. I think this was their intention to put people off voting for or against the manor being sold. Every step was taken by teignbridge to make this vote as difficult as possible. one entrance was given for the whole of dawlish. Once you managed to make it into the voting room you then found that there were only two tables for people to vote when there was clearly room for at least six tables which would have made the voting much easier. The elderly, the disabled, parents with young children stood in the cold for up to two hours hoping to vote. Many people had to leave before they could vote, this obviously was due to prior engagments, children needing feeding, etc etc the list of reasons is endless. I would really like to hope that there is a meeting or a complaints board that we could all write to or attend too air our view about this evenings events. The spirit of Dawlish folk though, wasnt broken, if anything it was strengthened ..... well done dawlish
P up in a brewery comes to mind. Very badly organised, and yes, they seemed to go out of their way to make it as difficult as possible to cast your vote.
about 18% of the population then, still not cut and dry though, may still go after the feasability study.
Few, if any, Dawlish councillors received a vote of more than 18% of the total electorate. Some were elected without any vote because fewer people stood than there were seats. In the face of such an overwhelming majority despite the appallingly unbalanced advertisement they placed in the local paper, I think they would do well to acquiesce. I live in Teignmouth but observing this campaign in Dawlish has restored some faith that local democracy can work, if only occasionally.
Actually, of those who were eligible, only 13.64% voted in favour of keeping the Manor House and therefore to continue subsidising the maintenance costs. The public have had their chance, those that took their chance have made their views very clear and therefore the council and those undertaking the feasibility study must take their views into consideration. I'd love to see the demographics of those who voted for and against. Victory to the blue rinse brigade! Change is not good!
I understand that the Town Clerk (J Winchester) did not have the Councillors ok to send out contract cancellation letters to persons and groups, and is now trying to get them back, but only for a limited time, does that mean they intend to sell the Manor no matter what the residents wishes are.
Only 13.64% voted in favour of keeping the Manor House which tells me that the other 86.36% of the people don't give a shit about the Manor and would like to see it go as I would... What they should do is make the people who voted for it to be saved have them foot the bill for it and then see how much the council has lied about the cost to keep it open... Probably some of the people that voted are having their poll tax and rent payed by various agencies so the cost won't affect them... Sell it and good ridance I say...
If 86.36% of the people dont give a sh*t about the Manor, they should of got off their backsides and voted then. And as for the people in favor of saving the manor are having their rent and council tax paid for is the most stupid thing I have ever heard. If you have lived in Dawlish for as long as myself you should realise how getting rid of the few remaining original parts of Dawlish is leaving the town with no character at all. I know you dont give a sh*t but there are a lot of people in Dawlish that do.